Den här översättningen är inte klar ännu. Den här sidan är just nu på engelska.

Gå till den engelska sidan

Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Can freezing nerves during heart surgery slash pain and opioid use?

NCT ID NCT05859061

Symptom relief Sponsor: Northwestern University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot trial tests a technique called cryoanalgesia, which uses extreme cold to temporarily freeze nerves in the chest during heart surgery. The goal is to block pain signals, potentially reducing the need for opioid painkillers and improving recovery. The study enrolls adults scheduled for coronary bypass or single valve surgery through a breastbone incision.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
cryoanalgesia using the cryoICE system with CryoSphere probe to freeze intercostal nerves
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to manage pain after heart surgery, reducing reliance on opioids.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 32 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Nerve freezing carries risks like temporary numbness or nerve damage.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

32 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2023

Finished

May 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Scheduled for elective CABG (coronary artery bypass graft) or single valve surgery via median sternotomy * Reasonable expectation to be extubated within 24 hours postop Exclusion Criteria: * Prior history of surgery to the thorax (sternotomy, thoracotomy, thoracoscopy) * Hemisternotomy approach * History of cold urticaria, cryoglobulinemia, Raynaud's disease, or diabetic neuropathy * Preoperative use of opioids * History of chronic pain or associated syndromes * Concurrent Cox maze procedure * Need for post-bypass mechanical circulatory support (ECMO, IABP) or open chest * Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding * Patients who are unable to consent for themselves

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Coronary artery disease are added.

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

coronary artery disorder heart valve disorder Pain, Postoperative

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Pain, postoperative

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Northwestern University

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.